The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume II, Part 77

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co.
Number of Pages: 1180

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Hon. George Washington Woodward was born at Bethany Mareh 26, 1809; educated at Geneva seminary and Hobart college, Ge- neva, N. Y. He was transferred from here to Wilkes-Barre academy. He studied law with Thomas Fuller, of Wayne county, and with Hon. Garrick Mallery, at Wilkes-Barre. Ile was admitted to the bar August 3, 1830, and married September 10, 1832, Sarah Elizabeth, only daughter of George W. Trott, M. D. In 1836 he was elected a delegate to reform the constitution of the state. In 1841 he was appointed president judge of the Fourth judicial district, composed of the counties of Mifflin, Huntingdon, Centre, Clearfield and Clinton. In 1844 he was the caucus nominee of the Democratic members of the legislature of Pennsylvania for United States senator, but was defeated in the elec- tion by Simon Cameron. In 1845 he was nominated by President Polk a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, but his confirmation was defeated in the senate. In 1852 Governor Bigler appointed him a judge of the Supreme Court, and in the fall of that year he was elected for a full term of fifteen

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years. In 1863 Judge Woodward became the Democratic candidate for governor of the state against Andrew G. Curtin, but was de- fcated by a majority of fifteen thousand, al- though Luzerne county gave a majority of two thousand, seven hundred and eighty-six in his favor. For four years prior to his terin of office on the Supreme bench he acted as chief justice by virtue of the seniority of his commission. In 1867 and 1868 he was elect- ed to represent the Twelfth district in the Fortieth and Forty-first Congress. In 1873 he was elected as a delegate at large to the last constitutional convention on the Demo- cratie ticket. He died in Rome, Italy, May 10, 1875.

(By George B. Kulp.)

Edward Payson Darling was born in Robe- son township, Berks county, on November 10, 1831, and was educated at New London Cross-Roads academy and at Amherst eol- loge, graduating from the latter in 1851. The New London academy was established by Rev. Dr. Francis Allison, in 1743. It became justly celebrated and served to aid in fur- nishing the state with able civilians and the church with well-qualified ministers. He read law in Reading and was admitted to the bar there on November 10, 1853. In 1855 he re- moved to Wilkes-Barre and on August 13 of that year he became a member of the Lu- zerne bar, at which he quickly rose to the foremost position. In all eivil questions in- volving commercial, real estate and eorpora- tion law he stood among the foremost in his profession. He was executor and trustee of many of the largest estates in the county and held many business positions of great re- sponsibility, among them vice-president of the Wyoming National bank and of the Miners' Savings bank. He was also a part- ner in the banking house of F. V. Rockafel- low Co. He was one of the directors of the Wilkes-Barre Gas company, trustee of the Wilkes-Barre Female institute, a trustee of the Wilkes-Barre academy and a trustee

under the will of the late Isaac S. Osterhout of the "Osterhout Free Library," and was one of the applicants for the charter granted by the state under which the finishing link in the through line of railroad from Boston to Chicago of which the North and West branch forms a part. His associates in all these business enterprises and trusts, his clear conception of the law and admirable judgment and tact were highly valued. Ile died October 19, 1889.

(By George B. Kulp.)

William Darling was the father of Ed- ward Payson Darling and was born in Buck- port, Me., but removed when a very young man to Berks county, where he was admit- ted to the bar and entered actively into the practice of the law. Ile was a lawyer of fine parts and held a leading position in the courts for a good many years. In 1851 he was United States commissioner to the World's Fair at Crystal Palace, London. He retired from active practice when but forty years old. He had been previously appoint- ed president judge of the Berks district, but his health failing shortly after he resigned the position, though he nevertheless lived to a. comparatively advanced age of seventy- eight years. He was also vice-president of the American Sunday-School union from its organization until the time of his death.

(By George B. Kulp.)

Thomas Darling, son of Edward P. and Emily II. Darling, was born at Wilkes-Barre May 29, 1863. He was educated in the Wilkes-Barre academy and at Yale college, graduating from the latter in 1886. Enter- ing the office of his father. E. P. Darling, and of his uncle, J. V., he studied law two and one-half years, and was admitted to the Lu- zerne county bar April 22, 1889, and at once engaged in practice with his father and later . associated himself with a firm known as Darling & Wheaton. After the death of his uncle, J. B. Woodward entered the firm. the name changing to Wheaton, Darling &

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Woodward. When Judge Wheaton took his place on the bench the firmn again changed. Judge Stanley Woodward's term as judge expiring at this time, he resumed the prac- tice of law, the firm then changing to Wood- ward, Darling & Woodward, and still con- tinues in the line of, general and corporation practice. Mr. Darling is a Republiean and has served as select couneilman for his city and chairman of the board of revision and appeals and director of the Wilkes-Barre Heat, Light, Power and Motor company, and has been a stoekholder in the Miners' sav- ings and Second National banks of Wilkes- Barre.

George Reynolds Bedford was born at Wa- verly, Pa., November 22, 1840. He was cdu- cated at the Madison academy in his native place, after which he entered the law office of Hon. Samuel Sherrerd at Scranton. Dur- ing a portion of the year 1860 he was elerk in the office of the prothonotary of Luzerne county. He subsequently entered the Albany (N. Y.) Law school; completed his legal cdu- cation there and was admitted in May, 1862, to the Supreme Court of New York. He im- mediately came to Wilkes-Barre and for the succeeding six months continued his studies in the office of the Hon. Stanley Woodward. On November 10, 1862, he was admitted a member of the bar of Luzerne county. Dur- ing the following year Mr. Bedford applied himself assiduously to his practiee, aequir- ing a reputation as a careful and successful practitioner. He is a Democrat in politics and has done good service in behalf of his party. In 1874 he was a candidate for the nomination for judge. Mr. Bedford has never filled and has never since been a candidate for any political office, although he has been active in the councils of his party and from time to time gave it important service on the stump. Ile was chairman of the Democratic. committee of the Twelfth Congressional dis- triet in 1882. He has, however, been a di- rector of the Wilkes-Barre City hospital, a

trustee of the Memorial Presbyterian church and of the Franklin Presbyterian church. He was also a trustee of the Female institute of Wilkes-Barre, and for twelve years prior to 1899 was master in chancery. In 1863 he en- listed as a private in Captain Agib Rickett's Company K, Thirtieth regiment Pennsylva- nia Volunteer Militia, and was subsequently promoted to the position of a colonel's clerk. The company did service in what is known as the Gettysburg campaign and continued in the field about six weeks.

(By George B. Kulp.)

John Thomas Lenahan was born at Port Griffith, Luzerne county, November 15, 1862. His father, Patrick Lenahan, was born at Newport, in County Mayo, Ireland, May 17, 1825. He emigrated to this country in 1846, first settling in Apalachicola, Fla. He resided there for three years and then re- moved to New York .. He then removed to Buttermilk Falls, Pa., and engaged in the mercantile business. He remained there but . one year and removed to Port Griffith, where he was engaged in business for nine years as a merchant. In 1860 he removed to Wilkes- Barre and carried on a mereantile business until 1879, when he retired from business. John T. Lenahan, LL. D., was educated under the care of the Fathers of St. Augus- tine, at Villa Nova college, Delaware county, and graduated in 1870. He read law with Wright & Harrington and subsequently with Rhone & Lynch, spending a portion of the time in the interim in the law department of the University of Pennsylvania and was ad- mitted to the bar of Luzerne county October 27, 1873. Mr. Lenahan is a man of mueh foree and energy of character, traits, which, added to a taste of and exeeptionally supe- rior capacity for jury pleading, have given him an extensive practice, especially in the Quarter Sessions Court. At every successive convening of that tribunal of Luzerne county the list shows him to have been retained in a large number of the cases. He is a severe

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cross-examiner, as witnesses opposed to the side on which he pleads are ever willing to admit. He has had fees in a considerable number of the more important criminal cases that have been tried in Luzerne sinee his ad- mission, and in that eonneetion has made several notable pleas. He is elear in analyz- ing the eireumstanees of a erime, separating the material from the immaterial, and eon- strueting from either a highly plausible ease and is especially strong in exposing to the jury diserepaneies in the stories of witnesses whose testimony it is to his elient's interest to invalidate. Following this up with a seathing and vehement arraignment of an opponent he seldom fails in serving the eause in which he has been engaged to the utmost extent possible from the faets. In 1879 he was a Democratic nominee for the office of distriet attorney Mr. Lenahan has always been and still is, an aetive Demoeratie poli- tieian. He has served his party frequently as delegate to eounty and state conventions and was one year chairman of the eounty convention. He has always served upon eom- mittees and been frequently upon the stump, his vigorous oratory making him a special favorite with that large contingent of voters who esteem any other but the bluntest of English and the strongest of inveetive wast- ed in a politieal eampaign.

(By George B. Kulp.)

Hon. Gaius Leonard Halsey was born July 12, 1845, at Nesquehoning, Carbon eounty. He was edueated at the Wilkes-Barre aead- emy, Liberal institute at Clinton, N. Y., and Tuft's college, Medford, Mass., from which he was graduated in 1867. During a portion of 1866 he taught sehool at Canton, Mass., and after graduation one year in White Ha- ven, Pa. In 1868 he went to Washington, D. C., and during the winter of 1868 and 1869 was engaged as a stenographer and dur- ing a portion of that time did work for the late Oliver P. Morton, of Indiana, and John 4. Logan, of Illinois. In 1869 and 1870 he

was a stenographer for the Legislative Rec- ord at Harrisburg. In 1870 and 1871 he was assistant sergeant-at-arms in the house of representatives, and 1871 and 1872 was a transcribing clerk in the house of representa- tives. Ile studied law with Lyman Hakes and Charles E. Rice, and was admitted to the bar of Inzerne county September 9, 1872. He was actively engaged in the practice of law up until the time of his election to the beneh of the Common Pleas Court.

Hon. Frank Woodruff Wheaton was born in Binghamton, N. Y., August 27, 1855. He is a deseendant of Robert Wheaton, who came from England to Salem, Mass., in 1636, and is the son of Thomas J. and Mary T. Wheaton. He was educated in the publie sehools at Binghamton, N. Y., and gradu- ated from Yale eollege in 1877. He read law with E. P. & J. V. Darling and was admitted to the bar of Luzerne eounty September 2, 1879. He at onee commeneed the praetiee of his chosen profession, which he condueted alone until 1890, when he formed a partner- ship with J. V. & Thomas Darling. This continued until the death of J. V. Darling, when in the fall of 1892 Mr. J. B. Wood- ward's name was then added to the firm, the style then being Wheaton, Darling & Wood- ward. This firm eontinned in practice, mak- ing corporation law a speciality, until July 17, 1901, when Mr. Wheaton was appointed by Governor Stone judge of the Common Pleas Court to fill a vacaney eansed by aet of assembly ereating an additional law judge for the distriet and eounty of Luzerne. In November of the same year he was elected without opposition to the same position for a term of ten years. Judge Wheaton has always been an advocate of Republican principles and was chosen chairman of the Republiean eonvention which nominated Governor Stone. In 1884 Mr. Wheaton was elected a member of the eity couneil of Wilkes-Barre. During the years of 1885 and 1889 he served as chairman of the law and

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ordinance committee of the city council. For many years he has been a director in the Miners' Savings bank and is also a director of several coal companies. He married, May 16, 1878, L. Maria Covell, of Binghamton, N. Y.

James Robinson Scouton is a native of Elwell, Pa., where he was born September 26, 1858. He was educated in the public schools and at Susquehanna college, Collegiate in- stitute at Towanda and at Wyoming semi- nary at Kingston. He taught school for some twelve years in Wyoming, Bradford and Lu- zerne counties, commencing at the age of seventeen ; read law and was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1886. He then came east and was admitted to the Sullivan county bar in 1886 and to the Luzerne coun- ty bar January 6, 1887. Engaging at once in a general practice in the civil and Orphans' Courts, he has been connected with a num- ber of eases of importance which have taken him to both the Supreme Court of the state and to the courts of the United States. Mr. Scouten is a Republican in his politic- al opinion, but has never taken an active part in politics nor has he sought office. He has paid strict attention only to the practice of his profession, in which he has been suc- cessful.

Seligman Joseph Strauss was born in Wilkes-Barre August 19, 1852. He was edu- cated in the public schools of his native town, at the academy of the late E. B. Har- vey, in the public schools of New York and the College of the City of New York, gradu- ating from the latter in the class of 1872, receiving the degrees of A. B. and B. S., having passed in addition to the regular classical course an examination in French, Spanish and German. Three years later he received the degree of A. M., his thesis being "The Writ of Habeas Corpus; Its History and Nature." His father, Abraham Strauss, was born in the village of Kirchschoenback,

Bavaria, April 21, 1824, was a tailor by trade, emigrated to America, arriving in New York September 1, 1846. About one month later he came to Wilkes-Barre and entered the employ of Mr. Joseph Coons as tailor, and two years later engaged in busi- ness for himself, which he continued until August 12, 1874, at which time he died. S. J. Strauss read law with Henry W. Palmer and was admitted to the Luzerne bar September 6. 1875. A Democrat in poli- tics, he has taken an active part in the coun- cils of his party and has become widely known as a campaign speaker. He is a mnem- ber of the Odd Fellows and Heptosophs and director of the Wilkes-Barre City hospital and is also director in the Wilkes-Barre Savings bank and a stockholder in several corporations.

(By George B. Kulp.)

Barnett Miller Espy was born in Nanti- eoke May 16, 1846. He is a descendant of George Espy, who was born in Hanover township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) county, Pa., in 1749, and removed with the Paxton Rangers to Luzerne county prior to the mas- sacre in 1778. Mr. Espy comes of a good family. He comforts himself both profes- sionally and as a eitizen in a manner worthy of such an origin. He is not what the world calls a pushing man, but cannot, therefore, be said to lack energy. His methods are of the quiet order and not such as make men conspicuous, as it is his belief that those who make the most noise in the world are not always the ones to achieve the most substan- tial successes. He is a good lawyer and a hard worker in the profession. A Republican in politics, although not a politician in any sense. He is an active member of the Frank- lin Street Methodist Episcopal church, where his services are always in demand and held in high appreciation.

(By George B. Kulp.)

Edmund Griffin Butler was born June 11, 1845, at Wilkes-Barre. He is a descendant

Heuchich Bihnight

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LUZERNE COUNTY

of Zebulon Butler, who emigrated to Wyoming in 1769, and is the son of Lord Butler. He was edueated at the Waverly in- stitute, Waverly, N. Y., and the Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn., from which last-named institution he was graduated in 1868. He studied law with Edward P. Dar- ling and was admitted to the bar of Luzerne November 17, 1869.

(By George B. Kulp.)

Henry W. Palmer, Wilkes-Barre, repre- sentative in Congress from the Twelfth Pennsylvania distriet, was born July 10, 1839, in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, and is the son of Gideon W. and Elizabeth (Burdick) Palmer. Gideon was a native of Rhode Island and was deseended from Wil- liam, who came over in the first ship sailing after the Mayflower. Among the long list of Revolutionary heroes the name of Palmer oeeupies a conspieuous plaee. Gideon Palm- er came to Pennsylvania when nineteen years of age and followed farming and milling; at one time sheriff of his eounty and a member of the house of representatives and paymas- ter in the army during the Civil war. Mr. Palmer's education was obtained in the eom- mon schools, the Wyoming seminary and at the F. T. Edward institute at New York. IIe commeneed the study of law in the office of Garrick M. Harding at Wilkes-Barre, and subsequently. attended the State and Nation- al Law school at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and was graduated in 1860. Returning to Wilkes- Barre, he was admitted to the bar in Sep- tember, 1861, and with the exeeption of four years spent in association with Mr. Garriek Harding Mr. Palmer has been alone in the general practice embraeing all branches of the law. For the past twenty-five years he has been exclusively engaged in the trial of canses and has been associated on one or the other side with nearly every important ease in the county. As a lawyer, Mr. Palmer eas- ily ranks among the leading lawyers of the state. His greatest sneeess in life has been

at the bar, and, although a member of Con- gress, he still holds a good practice. His Success has been obtained largely by his indomitable energy and industry. He is particularly strong as a trial lawyer, being full of resources. When driven from one position he will seize another so quickly, and, supported by such ready reference to au- thorities, that he frequently bewilders his opponents and wins ont on a new line, which seems to come to him by intuition as the trial progresses. As an advocate to the jury he is not severely logieal, not confining himself strictly to the evidence, but takes a wider range and by illustrations drawn from lit- erature or history he retains the interest of the jury, while at the same time emphasiz- ing some feature of the ease. In 1862 Mr. Palmer entered the service of the United States as a clerk under his father in the pay- master department of the army and served one and one-half years. A Republican, Mr. Palmer was a member of the constitutional convention of 1883, and served as attorney general of the state from 1879 until 1883. IIe has repeatedly been a delegate to the state convention, and in 1886 was a delegate to the national convention at Cincinnati that nominated Mr. Ilayes for the Presidency. In 1900 Mr. Palmer was elected as repre- sentative in Congress from the Twelfth Con- gressional distriet. In business affairs he has taken an active interest, being viee-president of the Miners' Savings bank of Wilkes- Barre, director in the North and West Branch Railroad company, president of the Boys' In- dustrial Home association and elosely eon- neeted with several other industries. In 1861 at Plattsburg, N. Y., Mr. Palmer was mar- ried to Miss Mary Ellen Webster. To them have been born five children: two sons and three daughters.

D. Curtis Harrower, Wilkes-Barre. The subject of this sketeh is a native of Lawrenee- ville, Pa., and is a son of Colonel G. F. and Helen (Parkhurst) Harrower, the former a

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native of New York, and the latter of Penn- sylvania. His paternal grandparents, Cap- tain Benjamin Harrower, removed from New York to Pennsylvania at an early day and bought a large tract of land and engaged in the lumber trade. Ile owned large mills and rafted his products down the Susque- hanna river to Port Deposit and Balti- more. The paternal grandfather emigrated from Scotland to the United States in 1776. On his mother's side our subject traces his ancestry back to the French Huguenots, and among them were soldiers of the Revolution- ary war and the war of 1812. And at the time of the war of the Rebellion every IIar- rower of military age was engaged in the service. Our subject's father reeruited the One Hundred and Sixty-first regiment of New York Infantry in 1862, and, as its colo- nel, served in the department of the Gulf until after the surrender of Vicksburg, when, on account of the death of his father, he re- signed and returned home to take charge of the business. During his latter years he carried on an extensive stock farm. He died in 1895 at Lawreneeville, where his widow still resides on the old homestead.

After leaving the common schools young Harrower attended Haverling academy at Bath, N. Y. Owing to ill health, he was for several years unable to either study or work, but in 1887 turned his attention to the study of law in the office of Mr. S. E. Smith, of Tioga, Pa., and two years later was admitted to the bar at Wellsboro. After a short course of training in the office of Mr. John C. Diminy, of New York, Mr. Harrower re- turned to Lawrenceville and engaged in practice there until 1895, when he removed to Wilkes-Barre, his present home. While his practice has been general in character, he has given special attention to commereial law and damage cases, and laterally to bank- ruptey matters. The commercial depart- ment for the collection of claims is in charge

of Harrower Bros., and, with all, Mr. Har- rower's practice is large and remunerative.

In politics Mr. Harrower is independent. He has taken no active part in political af- fairs more than to perform his duty as a citi- zen and has never held or sought office. In September, 1901, Mr. Harrower married Miss Laura Rudrauff, a daughter of Mr. Pe- ter Rudrauff, of Wilkes-Barre. Mr. and Mrs. Harrower are both members of the Presbyterian denomination.

Hon. John N. Conyngham was a resident of Wilkes-Barre for nearly half a century, and was, at the time of his death, seventy- four years old. He was a native of Phila- delphia, where his education was completed to the entrance of his profession in the prac- tice of law. In the commencement of his legal career he removed to the place of the future residence of his whole life. For thirty years of this period he was the presiding judge of the legal district in which he lived, over the court in which the whole of his professional life had been occupied. Within the last few years he resigned his official po- sition, and was enjoying the repose of an age the material independence of which his own industry and fidelity had secured. His early practice of the law had won the eon- fidence of all who needed his professional aid, equally by the moral fidelity which emi- nently distinguished his eharacter and by the sound 'attainments and judgment which he had evinced in his praetice.

The life of Judge Conyngham, while not devoid of striking incidents, was not made up of ineidents. It was rather the growth of great principles, and its beauty was the har- monious development of those principles. He was born in Philadelphia in 1798, re- ceived his edueation there and graduated with high honor at the University of Penn- sylvania in 1816. Selecting the law for his profession, he was entered as a student in the office of the Hon. Joseph R. Ingersoll, and

Charle &

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was Mr. Ingersoll's second student, the late Judge Petit being the first. Having com- pleted his preparatory studies in a manner which secured to him the life-long affection and respect of his honored preceptor, he was admitted to the bar and entered with high hopes upon his profession. Of an ardent and sanguine temperament, he was unwilling to wait the slow process of rising to eminenee in his native city at a time when the bar was lustrous with some of its brightest legal light, and so he resolved to establish himself in Wilkes-Barre, in the Wyoming valley, which he did in 1820, and becoming interested in politieal matters, he soon became a member of the legislature and one of the recognized and aceredited leaders of publie thought and publie action. In all matters of publie im- provement, soeial advancement, eharity and benevolence, suppression of viee and the pro- moting of temperanee, for the developing of the resources of the state and utilizing its mineral wealth-in education, and other kin- dred things, Judge Conyngham took an ae- tive and almost foremost part. Particularly was his high bearing as a patriot eonspieu- ous during the late civil war. Ile joined in ealls for publie meetings, he addressed im- mense audiences, headed subseription lists, eneouraged enlistment, and, unable to go himself, he gave all his four sons to his country. Ilis name and influence were all powerful in his judicial distriet, and few men gave greater personal or moral support to our eause in its hour of peril than Judge Conyngham. Thus did he prove a worthy son of one partner, and a worthy namesake of the other, of that old 'mereantile firm, "Conyngham & Nesbitt." At the time of his resignation of the president judgeship the whole bar of Luzerne county, as one man, rose up to do him honor in the way of an elaborate banquet, which was the first in- stanee of the kind in Pennsylvania. Exten- . sive devotion to business soon told upon his strength and he was laid aside for nearly a

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The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume II, Part 77

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co. Number of Pages: 1180

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co.
Number of Pages: 1180